For one of the local residents of the upcoming Dallas event, the CJ CUP Byron Nelson, the 2025 season was supposed to look different than it does now, at least according to his early-year enthusiasm. Ahead of The Sentry, a bulked-up Will Zalatoris quipped, “Hopefully this is Will of 2025.” However, that does not seem to be the case, given the latest updates from TPC Craig Ranch, and fans are not amused.

According to the latest reports from the PGA Tour event, Will Zalatoris’s unfortunate start to the 2025 season continues after the Dallas native withdrew late from his hometown event on Wednesday. While there are no explanations provided for Zalatoris’s withdrawal from the Dallas event, the 43-year-old James Hahn will replace him.

It is true that the American golfer hasn’t seen a stunning run of finishes this year, but he has been promising so far. The 2021 Rookie of the Year, for instance, has successfully made eight out of nine cuts this season, excluding his missed chance on the weekend at Augusta National. However, for the runner-up finisher of the 2021 Masters, some of his best results in the 2025 season came at the American Express (T12) and the Arnold Palmer Invitational (T22). His most recent performance includes a T54 finish at the RBC Heritage.

In 2025, Zalatoris has yet to secure a top-10 finish; however, his rankings in the 2025 season look promising so far. Zalatoris is currently ranked 68th in the OWGR and 88th in the FedEx Cup standings. It is perhaps because of his often promising performances—including a runner-up finish at the 2022 PGA Championship—that the fans are now divided.

Will Zalatoris’ withdrawal from hometown event draws divided reaction

One of the first people to react to this surprising news was the host of the “Teeing It Up” podcast. Talking about the situation, the fan said, “This is a bummer.” Although we are now deprived of Zalatoris showcasing his best skills in his hometown, his history with the event isn’t very impressive. In his last appearance at Byron Nelson in 2022, Zalatoris did not make the cut, finishing with a score of 4-under. His top performance at this event occurred in 2021, when he tied for 17th place with a score of 16-under.

One of the fans thanked the PGA Tour for informing them ahead of the event, given the risk of betting on WD-players. “Oh.. guess we have to replace Willy Z now on the card😂😂 All I’m gonna say is THANK YOU for telling us ahead of time instead of waiting until after lock🙏.” One of the popular bets this season, this isn’t the first time Will Zalatoris has withdrawn from the event. In 2024, the golfer withdrew from the event after facing a “flare-up” of the back problems that was following him since 2023.

One of the fans criticized the American golfer’s recent performance at The PLAYERS Championship, saying, “Saturday at The PLAYERS broke him.” While we cannot say with certainty why Zalatoris stepped back from an event he was attending for the first time in three years, his scores at The PLAYERS weren’t impressive. With finishes of 70-66-78-71, the Dallas native ended up T30 on the leaderboard. Although disappointing, this performance was better than his 2024 outing, where he missed the cut.

Next, the PGA Tour took a hit: “Damn, these tournaments look like Korn Ferry Tour fields.” It is true that the CJ CUP Byron Nelson hosts some less popular names in the sport; however, this year, the Dallas event will see many big names, including Scottie Scheffler and Jordan Spieth, playing for the first time since 2022. Additionally, Taylor Pendrith will look to defend his title at the course.

Lastly, a fan replied under the post with “@ThePME James HAAAAAAAAAHN.” Well, the 2003 pro has only played three events this year, including the Sony Open in Hawaii, where he finished T37. However, it will be interesting to see how Hahn plays in place of Zalatoris.